During my last tutorial some of you expressed the difficulty of practicing to a steady beat. So today I am going to show you a new strumming pattern and how to practice it effectively to a metronome and to a drum beat.

Watch and learn this strumming pattern in my YouTube video.

The new strumming pattern is very easy and it mimics the most common drum beat ever.

DU D DU D              D= Down Stroke   U=Up Stroke.

Imagine, the underline strums are the kick drum and the other strums are the snare and there you go- the most famous drum beat ever!

When adding the metronome, start from 70 bpm. Once you feel comfortable with this tempo, change it to 2 bpm at the time. You might not feel much difference going from 70 to 72 bpm. However, you want to add speed gradually to have the best results. In addition, I suggest using a metronome that gives you an accent on the first beat so that you know where you are in the musical bar.

The same idea can be applied to a drumbeat. You can find many apps that will play drum beats for you. Again, start from 70 bpm and increase gradually. I normally use an online app called Drumbit

Remember to wait for at least four counts of the metronome/one complete drum groove before starting to play.

I find practicing with the drum beat more musical but some students find it a bit more confusing as the drum will not simply play the beat but will play a groove over four musical bars.

So, can you play the strumming pattern I showed you today? Are you able to play with a metronome or drumbeat?

If you want any help book a FREE 1-to-1 lesson with me here

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